1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to trailer couplers. More particularly, the present invention is a new and improved trailer coupler that automatically locks in place when attached, provides for a visual inspection that coupler is locked into position, can be remotely unlocked for release, universally accepts all diameter ball hitches, and provides an electronic sensor for determining engagement status.
2. Description of the Known Prior Art
Many coupling devices have been developed for providing a connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer. Typically, a spherical ball is mated to a socket receiver in a male-female style trailer hitch. A popular variety uses a long, vertical sheathing attached to a female portion of the coupler, often referred to as gooseneck or neckover couplers. These types of couplers are often mated to a ball hitch mounted to a vehicle, such as pick-up trucks, in the middle of the vehicle's bed as opposed to a ball hitch generally located on the end of the vehicle near or on the rear bumper.
In operation, a trailer with a gooseneck attachment is positioned over the ball mounted in the bed of the vehicle and then lowered onto the ball. The socket receiver should, generally, have a slightly larger diameter than the ball so that the receiver fully engages or mates with the ball. Generally, once the trailer is mated to the vehicle, a separate manual operation must be performed to insure that the ball is locked into the receiving socket so that the receiver is no longer free to disengage from the ball.
In the prior art, when a ball is mounted in the middle of the bed of a pickup, the operator must get into the back of the vehicle to perform the manual operation of locking the coupler. Due to the configuration of most towing vehicles, this requires the operator to climb over the side of the bed or attempt to climb up the back gated portion where the trailer is now positioned. This practice leads to potential for an injury to the operator. Furthermore, when the operator desires to remove the trailer from the towing vehicle, the operator must once again climb into the bed of the vehicle to unlock the coupler for disengagement.
Also, it is not uncommon in the prior art for the operator, who has lowered the receiver onto the ball, to believe that the coupler is locked in when the opposite is true. Unfortunately, this leads to potentially dangerous situations where the trailer disengages while being towed.
Some of these shortcomings in the prior art also similarly apply to conventional trailer hitches mounted on the rear of a vehicle without a gooseneck assembly. Furthermore, in the prior art standard trailer hitches that use a mating system of a ball attached to the rear of a vehicle such as behind or on the rear bumper often require the locking mechanism to also act as a supporting function and sometimes even a pulling function. These configurations may be extremely difficult to operate and require substantial effort to lock or unlock.
Furthermore, many of these prior art hitches may be placed in a latched configuration but a separate manual operation is required to lock the device in the latched configuration. If a person fails to take the extra step of locking the device, then a potentially dangerous situation may exist.
Still further, theft is a common concern for individuals who use trailers due to the very nature of the easily transportable devices and cost thereof. It is a common consideration of trailer users, that even though the towing vehicle may have anti-theft systems, that there is no readily available means to determine if the trailer has been disconnected in an attempted theft. What is needed is an alarm or notification system that provides a user or owner of the trailer when an undesired decoupling has occurred through theft, accident or otherwise. Likewise, it is also desirable to know if a trailer that is not hooked to a towing vehicle is coupled to an unauthorized vehicle.
Thus, there is a need for a self locking trailer coupler which provides for an automatic locking, a visual indicator that the coupler is locked in position, a remote release for unlocking said coupler, and a coupler that may universally accept multiple diameter ball hitches.